Doublesided
by Laylania
Summary: Loyalties and emotions can be so hard to figure out.  OC X Alviss


**Authoress Notes: **I know this route has been used before, but I added a bit of a twist. Hoorah!

**Claim: **I own Aria, her ARM, and anything else that isn't from MAR.

**Disclaim: **I, sadly, don't own Alviss.

**Soundtrack: **_Memories_ (Within Temptation); _Out of Control _(Hoobastank)

_Chapter One_

If asked why she allied herself with the chess pieces, Aria wouldn't be able to answer right away. Not because she didn't want to, but because she didn't want anyone else to know. She had to be the only knight who hated killing, as opposed to her bloodthirsty bretheren like Rapunzel, who had threatened to kill her on numerous occasions, should she fail to win any type of battle thrown at her. But she was here to bring down their leader, Phantom.

She was sure the man knew something was up with her, seeing as she had only appeared after his resurrection, having taken no part in the war games six years prior. And so she was on constant surveilence when he could spare someone to watch her. Violet eyes narrowed, and she frowned. She had made a promise to someone she held very dear to her heart. He had shown her nothing but kindness, but she had...had...

_That's enough!_ she thought, shaking her head and running fingers through pale blonde locks. She didn't need a trip down that painful path of recollection, and she knew it was that particular incident that allowed Phantom to keep her under his thumb like a mindless little pawn. She scowled, adjusting the earring that hung from her earlobe. It had taken her years to get to where she was now, and she wasn't going to let her stupid memories get in the way and ruin it all before she could wipe that arrogant smirk off the living corpse's face at least once.

Haunting laughter echoed in her ears as she rose, her mind's eye assaulted by the image of a young boy with soft brown hair and warm, eternally laughing green eyes that had held her attention so easily. Shaking her head again, Aria closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She needed to focus, seeing as she was to fight in the battle today. Just like six years ago, it was chess pieces against Cross Guard, and she dreaded fighting.

"There you are!" said Pano, looking irritated as Aria made her way down the hallway. "Aqua, Loco and Rapunzel are waiting for you."

"Sorry," the blonde mumbled, sliding past Pano who watched her with a questioning look before shrugging. She wasn't here to care for the strange knight, and she wasn't going to waste time with that, seeing as Aria wouldn't tell her anything in the first place. Aria approached her companions for this battle, ignoring the glare she got from Rapunzel.

She closed her eyes and slid the painted mask onto her face, adjusting her cloak as they were transported to the battle field. The fighters for Cross Guard were already there waiting, and Aria peered through her mask to observe the grounds she would be forced to fight on. Sand. Hard to move in, but easy to create a distraction with.

"For being late, you can go first! Bitch!" said Rapunzel, and Aria once again ignored the tempermental knight. Leaping forward to stand a little bit away from Pizun, Aria looked up at the enemy expectantly, observing who was there. There was the blonde named Ginta, a boy named Alviss, and then - Aria's amethyst eyes widened, pupils receeding in shock as she was thrown into a memory.

_-* "Are you Aria?" The young girl stared up at the man who blinked at the detached expression she wore on her face as she said,_

_"You don't have to say it. I know my parents are dead." As a child of two Cross Guard members, she knew what to expect, and had already prepared herself for it. But apparently not well enough as tears sparkled, and she began to tremble before breaking down and starting to cry. _

_Strong hands scooped her up, holding her against a firm chest. The scent was familiar, and she recognized the man to be one of her parents' friends named Alan. *-_

She inhaled sharply and suppressed the shudder that always came with a strong memory. Shifting her gaze from Alan, her eyes fell upon the last member who had been chosen, another man with long blonde hair and a bandana shielding his eyes. He grinned and began a leisurely walk towards you.

"First match! Aria of the chess pieces vs Nanashi for MAR!"

Aria blinked. _MAR?_

Was that what they were calling their faction nowadays? Narrowing her eyes, she kept her mask on as she leapt backwards, feet sliding through the soft, giving sand. Her cloak would only get in the way, and so she tossed it off without a second thought, her mask following as her pale flaxen hair blew in the hot wind, tossing it across her eyes.

From where they stood, Alan's eyes widened as he caught sight of the chess piece that Nanashi had chosen to fight. "Is that...? It can't be..."

"? Old man?" Ginta turned questioning sapphire eyes towards the older man, who didn't say anything as he stared at the girl, a memory rising to the surface of his mind.

_-* "She's got quite the potential," he found himself saying to Gaira, who grunted as they watched the small child spar with an older Guard member who seemed to be having a difficult time dodging the blows from the weapon she held. The girl had two other ARM that had come from her parents as a memento of their time as Guard members._

_"She's a child," said Gaira finally and then the battle was over, the Guard member panting heavily as the girl lowered her sword from the man's neck and turned, staring straight at Alan. Even though she seemed normal enough, those haunting purple eyes still gave him the shivers. *-_

_So, she's still alive..._He thought, smirking. _Why am I not surprised?_

_-* "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked Aria, who nodded._

_"Yes. After all, what other way to bring down the pyramid than from the inside?" She smirked bitterly and held up her hand, fingers adorned with the ARM she had managed to steal from a few chess pieces after defeating them. "I'm going to get my revenge, Alan."_

_"Be careful." *-_

"Such a pretty girl," drooled Nanashi, making Aria sweatdrop and tense as she extended her hand, purple aura flaring around her. Though she may have looked small, she could pack quite the punch. She wasn't a knight for nothing.

"Guardian ARM: Dancing petals!"

A ring on her finger flared and a burst of black petals shimmered into existance, dancing around her in a soundless lullaby. She twitched her fingers, and they swirled around Nanashi, who looked slightly startled. "Don't move. The slightest twitch and I'll slice your jugular."

Something flashed in her eyes and Nanashi blinked before grinning and pulling out his signature weapon, batting the petals away. "Oh really?"

"Don't taunt me!" snarled Aria, though she made no move to close her hand, which would cluster the petals on his body and slice his skin into ribbons, spilling scarlet into the sand. Her hesitation seemed to anger Rapunzel who yelled,

"I'll kill you if you don't win!"

_What am I doing? He's an enemy._ Aria's hand trembled before she snapped her fingers, dismissing the petals back into the ring on her finger. Before he could wonder why, she was running at him across the sand, blade gripped tightly in her hand. His staff clashed with the sword, the blade glinting in the sunlight.

"Why are you a chess piece?" asked Nanashi, startling her. "You obviously don't like fighting for them. Why not quit?"

_Because I...because I...made a promise. One that I intend to keep,_ Aria thought, though she said, "Don't pretend you know me! I'll kill you! Guardian ARM: Skeleton!"

Skeletal hands burst from the sand, a flesh-less skeleton emerging to grab Nanashi, his hands down by his sides as Aria pointed the blade at his neck, violet eyes flashing. If there was anything she hated more than Phantom, it was people assuming they knew why she did what she did.

Pizun glanced at them both before announcing, "First Match winner: Aria!"

"Finish him!" called Rapunzel, and Aria withdrew her sword and dismissed both ARM, allowing Nanashi to drop to the ground, uninjured. Returning to her group, she did nothing to defend herself as Rapunzel slapped her, sending her to the ground. "You useless whore! Why didn't you kill him?"

"..." Aria held her cheek, which was swelling and turning a faint purple. _Why am I fighting on this side? Can't I keep my promise and fight with them?_ She glanced at the members of MAR, focusing on Alan. He must've recognized her and she sighed, knowing she needed to talk to him to let him know what her true intentions were.

The matches over, Pizun announced that MAR had won the battle, Aria and Aqua being the only two to win. While they were recalled to Phantom, she used the andata she had to follow the MAR fighters, blinking as Aria appeared in front of them. The blonde - Ginta - tensed, obviously expecting threatening words or another fight.

"I'm not here to fight," she said, looking bored before turning towards Alan and smiling quietly. "It's nice to see you again."

"You too," he said, grinning. "Glad to know you're still alive."

"Old man?" Ginta pointed towards Aria, who blinked. "Who is this?"

"This is Aria," said Alan, gesturing to the young girl. "She's a Cross Guard member."


End file.
